scholarly journals Information Behavior of the Academic Community of FMVZ-UNAM

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Lucía Galván-Ochoa ◽  
José Ricardo Manriquez-Betanzos
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Information Behavior ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Specific Objective ◽  
Methodological Tool ◽  
De Medicina ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

During 2010, at the Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (fmvz-unam) we analyzed the influence of metadata over its website according to the search engines used by the academic community. This document serves only the second specific objective of the research: to know the academic profile, the informative behavior and the veterinary information needs of the academic community of the fmvz-unam. The methodological tool was the design and implementation of an online survey. We received 215 responses, two thirds answered academic staff, the rest, undergraduate and postgraduate students. In relation to information behavior, an Internet-usage index was developed, with which it was determined that 64 % of this community uses four or five information services on the Internet, This means that the network is widely used to seek information and as communication media. This community search for more veterinary information related to dogs, dairy cattle and sheep, compared to other animal species; while animal welfare, zoonosis and molecular biology are the topics of greatest interest.

Information Behavior of Electrical Engineering and Computing Doctoral Students and Their Perception of the Academic Library’s Role: A Case Study in Croatia

Libri ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kornelija Petr Balog ◽  
Boris Badurina ◽  
Jadranka Lisek
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Information Behavior ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Postgraduate Students

Abstract Th aim of the paper is to present findings of a study on information sources and information behavior of doctoral students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. The study also looked into student perceptions of the role of the academic library and their attitudes toward it as a legitimate partner in the research process, as doctoral students are required to publish the results of their doctoral research in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals during their course of study. However, they rarely use the library and its services; the study was undertaken with the intent to obtain insight into the students’ information behavior as well as needs and reasons for overlooking the library as a relevant partner in their research process. The online survey was conducted on a sample of 138 postgraduate students, with semi-structured interviews with five postgraduate students also conducted. The findings show a dominant student orientation towards online sources such as online databases and Google Scholar. Students tend to overlook the library as a relevant information source but have positive attitudes toward librarians (their knowledge, skills and courtesy). The library needs to become more active in promoting its services and, especially in the domain of postgraduate education, needs to be regarded as a necessary location for any serious research work, where librarians are regarded as cooperating partners in the research process. There were a few limitations of the study: respondents were unwilling to dedicate their time to this research and therefore the interviews were too short to examine the topics discussed in-depth, while the sample was extremely homogeneous, making the results only in part transferable to other contexts.

scholarly journals Information Behavior within the Humanities: Searching or Browsing, Recall or Precision? Researching the Information Needs of Academics: the Case Study of the Faculty of History of the University of Warsaw

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1(105)) ◽  
pp. 82-95
Author(s):  
Anna Mierzecka
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Behavior ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Degree Of Satisfaction ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University

PURPOSE/THESIS: The aim of this research was to discover the characteristics of information behavior among the scholars whose academic focus lies within the field of humanities. Recognizing the importance of local conditions and their impact on information behavior, the researcher conducted her empirical study on a group of Polish academics, i.e. the employees of the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw. Particular emphasis was put on establishing (1) how academics retrieve required literature, (2) what factors may influence the degree of satisfaction from the query, (3) how crucial was the level of results’ relevance and (4) whether academics assign greater importance to query recall or precision. APPROACH/METHODS: Empirical research was preceded by the analysis of subject literature enabling the author of the paper to outline several internationally observed tendencies in information behavior of academics, and to formulate theses with regard to Polish academics. These were verified on the basis of 54 in-depth interviews with the employees of the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw and their ordered queries of academic literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Research results have indicated that humanities scholars prefer browsing document sets characterized by a high level of recall as a method of retrieving required subject literature. Due to the difficulty in formulating query instructions with sufficient precision, they less frequently choose the method of searching for document sets characterized by high precision factor. The need to browse through irrelevant titles was found to have no significant impact on the level of user satisfaction. Additional research has also indicated that academic texts databases are still insufficiently adjusted to the needs of humanities scholars. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The research has allowed to describe information behavior of humanities scholars with regard to the use of digital technologies in the research process, which so far has not taken place in the case of Polish academic community.  

scholarly journals Do Review Papers on Bird–Vegetation Relationships Provide Actionable Information to Forest Managers in the Eastern United States?

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 990
Author(s):  
Casey A. Lott ◽  
Michael E. Akresh ◽  
Bridgett E. Costanzo ◽  
Anthony W. D’Amato ◽  
Shengwu Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Desired Future Conditions ◽  
Forest Managers

Forest management planning requires the specification of measurable objectives as desired future conditions at spatial extents ranging from stands to landscapes and temporal extents ranging from a single growing season to several centuries. Effective implementation of forest management requires understanding current conditions and constraints well enough to apply the appropriate silvicultural strategies to produce desired future conditions, often for multiple objectives, at varying spatial and temporal extents. We administered an online survey to forest managers in the eastern US to better understand how wildlife scientists could best provide information to help meet wildlife-related habitat objectives. We then examined more than 1000 review papers on bird–vegetation relationships in the eastern US compiled during a systematic review of the primary literature to see how well this evidence-base meets the information needs of forest managers. We identified two main areas where wildlife scientists could increase the relevance and applicability of their research. First, forest managers want descriptions of wildlife species–vegetation relationships using the operational metrics of forest management (forest type, tree species composition, basal area, tree density, stocking rates, etc.) summarized at the operational spatial units of forest management (stands, compartments, and forests). Second, forest managers want information about how to provide wildlife habitats for many different species with varied habitat needs across temporal extents related to the ecological processes of succession after harvest or natural disturbance (1–2 decades) or even longer periods of stand development. We provide examples of review papers that meet these information needs of forest managers and topic-specific bibliographies of additional review papers that may contain actionable information for foresters who wish to meet wildlife management objectives. We suggest that wildlife scientists become more familiar with the extensive grey literature on forest bird–vegetation relationships and forest management that is available in natural resource management agency reports. We also suggest that wildlife scientists could reconsider everything from the questions they ask, the metrics they report on, and the way they allocate samples in time and space, to provide more relevant and actionable information to forest managers.

Analysis of the Information Needs of Volunteers: the Results of Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-111
Author(s):  
Elena Y. Mazarakii
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Volunteer Organization ◽  
Comprehensive Information ◽  
Volunteer Organizations ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Government

Volunteering is actively developing in the Russian Federation and around the world. Society that takes part in volunteer projects has a high level of civic identity, morality and forms humanistic values among young people. Volunteer movement is a tool to reduce the level of antisocial and extremist behaviour.Approximately 15% of the population of the Russian Federation is involved in volunteering activities at the present time. Thanks to the volunteer organizations created in educational institutions, the government creates positive image of a volunteer. At the same time, there is a problem of public distrust in this type of activity due to the lack of awareness of volunteer organizations and their projects. Organizers of the volunteer movement face the problem of lack of information about volunteering that entails the difficulties in setting goals and objectives of the volunteer organization. It is necessary to identify the information needs of volunteers, as well as to create an information field where they can meet these needs.There is no resource with comprehensive information about volunteering activity in Russia. Information needs of participants in such type of projects cannot be fully met. The main source of information is the portal “Volunteers of Russia”. It allows you to get e-book of a volunteer, register a volunteer organization, create an event and apply for participation in an existing project. However, the system has a number of factors that make it difficult to keep accurate records of volunteer activities; it is more designed to attract attention to projects.In 2018—2019, the study was conducted using the online survey (questionnaire). The survey involved volunteers (451 respondents) and their leaders (43 respondents) of the St. Petersburg Volunteer Movement “Our Future is in Our Hands”. The purpose of the study was to identify the information needs of volunteers and their managers. The survey results led to the conclusions: the availability of information resources on volunteering is not too high; the most interesting information is related to the experience of implementing volunteer activities, project development and management, the development of supra-professional skills. Volunteers prefer to use electronic documents.It is necessary to develop special programs and organize training courses on the formation of information culture of volunteers, to create a wider range of information resources for volunteers. One of the possibilities is to create a unified public resource that reflects different aspects of volunteering activities. It is important to form a comprehensive information support for volunteers.

Marketization of Public Universities: Lessons from a Developing Economy

2021 ◽  
pp. 227853372110215
Author(s):  
Andy Fred Wali ◽  
AGYO Atswenbuma ◽  
Emmanuel A. Amangala ◽  
Obabuike Ikeni Nkpurukwe
Keyword(s):  
Public Universities ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Developing Economy ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Template Analysis ◽  
New Findings ◽  
The Government ◽  
Group Interviews

This study investigates the marketization of public universities in a developing economy with the aim of providing findings for repositioning public universities for global attraction. It adopts a qualitative approach, and the sample population comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students from four public universities (two federal- and two state-owned) in Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used to identify the students selected from each of these universities, and focus group interviews were conducted. We employed content and thematic template analysis techniques to analyze the generated data with NVivo 11. The findings show that the key themes that shape interviewees’ experiences include: infrastructure deficit, poor tutor commitment, unprofessionalism, and inadequate training. Policy recommendations were suggested for the tripartite work relationship between the government, university leadership and the academic staff union for repositioning public universities. The study is limited to a single research paradigm but offers future research opportunities using alternative strategy for strengthening emerging themes and new findings.

scholarly journals Clinical academic research in the time of Corona: a simulation study in England and a call for action

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amitava Banerjee ◽  
Michail Katsoulis ◽  
Alvina G. Lai ◽  
Laura Pasea ◽  
Thomas A. Treibel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Staff ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
System Level ◽  
Clinical Activity ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Academic Workforce ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundCoronavirus (COVID-19) poses health system challenges in every country. As with any public health emergency, a major component of the global response is timely, effective science. However, particular factors specific to COVID-19 must be overcome to ensure that research efforts are optimised. We aimed to model the impact of COVID-19 on the clinical academic response in the UK, and to provide recommendations for COVID-related research.MethodsWe constructed a simple stochastic model to determine clinical academic capacity in the UK in four policy approaches to COVID-19 with differing population infection rates: “Italy model” (6%), “mitigation” (10%), “relaxed mitigation” (40%) and “do-nothing” (80%) scenarios. The ability to conduct research in the COVID-19 climate is affected by the following key factors: (i) infection growth rate and population infection rate (from UK COVID-19 statistics and WHO); (ii) strain on the healthcare system (from published model); and (iii) availability of clinical academic staff with appropriate skillsets affected by frontline clinical activity and sickness (from UK statistics).FindingsIn “Italy model”, “mitigation”, “relaxed mitigation” and “do-nothing” scenarios, from 5 March 2020 the duration (days) and peak infection rates (%) are 95(2.4%), 115(2.5%), 240(5.3%) and 240(16.7%) respectively. Near complete attrition of academia (87% reduction, <400 clinical academics) occurs 35 days after pandemic start for 11, 34, 62, 76 days respectively – with no clinical academics at all for 37 days in the “do-nothing” scenario. Restoration of normal academic workforce (80% of normal capacity) takes 11,12, 30 and 26 weeks respectively.InterpretationPandemic COVID-19 crushes the science needed at system level. National policies mitigate, but the academic community needs to adapt. We highlight six key strategies: radical prioritisation (eg 3-4 research ideas per institution), deep resourcing, non-standard leadership (repurposing of key non-frontline teams), rationalisation (profoundly simple approaches), careful site selection (eg protected sites with large academic backup) and complete suspension of academic competition with collaborative approaches.

Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare for young people with cystic fibrosis: Parents’ information needs

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 646-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imelda Coyne ◽  
Helen Malone ◽  
Emma Chubb ◽  
Alison E While
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Adult Health

Parents of young people with cystic fibrosis (YPWCF) play an important role during the transition from paediatric to adult health services. There is limited evidence on parental information needs and the extent to which they are met. An online survey was conducted targeting a finite population of 190 parents of YPWCF in Ireland. Fifty-nine parents responded (31% response rate). Parents reported the need for more general preparation and timing of the transfer, more information regarding the differences between adult and child health services and how their child will self-manage his/her illness in the future. Most parents received information on the timing of transfer and new healthcare providers but reported being insufficiently informed about their legal status relating to medical confidentiality for their adult child and community resources available for their child after transition to adult health services. The findings highlight the importance of information and preparation for caregivers as well as young people to promote successful transition to adult healthcare. Providing parents with clear information and anticipatory guidance are simple changes in practice that may lead to improvements in transition experiences.

The Value of Postgraduate Students Opinions in the Quality Management of Academic E-Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-194
Author(s):  
Grażyna Rembielak ◽  
Renata Marciniak
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Special Obligation ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The University

Abstract The quality of online education is of interest to universities around the world. Only high quality and cyclical evaluation are the conditions for obtaining students’ satisfaction with this form of education. In the pandemic era, digital dissemination and open education have become a special obligation of academic education. This paper aims to present the opinions of postgraduate students on the quality of e-learning forced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The study was conducted using an online survey questionnaire sent to all 173 MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) students studying during the pandemic era in Poland's leading Business School, 40% of whom returned completed valid surveys. Students assessed aspects of e-learning such as teaching materials, communication with lecturers, the attractiveness of online classes, networking, strategies, and criteria for evaluating didactic activities, e-learning platform, and support received from the university. The results showed that although most examined aspects are perceived very well or well by the students, there is always some space for improvement. Despite the fact that the study was conducted on a small sample of students, their opinions obtained during the survey provide valuable information to universities about the quality of postgraduate e-learning from its main actors, that is, students. Based on this, the paper presents clear recommendations to universities on how the quality of online education could be managed and improved.

An Assessment of Which Sociodemographic and Spinal Cord Injury–Specific Characteristics Influence Engagement With Experimental Therapies and Participation in Clinical Trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 28-39
Author(s):  
Carlotta Pazzi ◽  
Clara Farrehi ◽  
Maclain Capron ◽  
Kim Anderson ◽  
Bonnie Richardson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Bladder Function ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Experimental Therapies ◽  
Trial Participants

Background: Although a number of experimental therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI) have recently emerged, few authors have examined the goals of individuals with SCI considering experimental therapies, and none have determined whether sociodemographic and injury-specific characteristics influence that engagement. Objectives: To determine (a) the goals of individuals with SCI who are considering experimental therapies; (b) whether sociodemographic factors, injury-specific characteristics, and concerns over adverse events influence those goals and/or participation in experimental therapies and clinical trials; and (c) whether people with SCI feel they have adequate information about experimental therapies and clinical trials. Methods: An online survey that yielded 364 responses. Results: Most respondents (83.7%) had sought information about experimental therapies, and just under half (47.8%) had received one. The most frequently cited functional goals were improvement in bowel and bladder function and elimination of dysreflexia (60.4%). Several goals were influenced by age and level and completeness of injury, and most respondents (93.4%) wanted more information about experimental therapies. Just over one-third (34.6%) of respondents had participated in a clinical trial, and nearly all (96.9%) wanted more information about them. Having received experimental therapies and participated in clinical trials was positively correlated with seeking SCI-specific care from an SCI specialist rather than from a primary care physician. Most (83.9%) respondents would avoid or be reluctant to engage with a medical center if they were made aware of harm done to trial participants. Conclusion: This work suggests that there are unmet information needs among people with SCI, specifically pertaining to experimental therapies and clinical trials. It also reveals that improved access to SCI specialists may enhance access to novel treatments and research efforts. Being made aware of harm to trial participants may influence the decision of individuals with SCI to seek care at or enroll in trials at these clinical sites.

Sexual and Reproductive Health knowledge of Postgraduate Students at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bupe Mwamba ◽  
Pat Mayers ◽  
Jawaya Shea
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Pap Smear ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Breast Examination ◽  
The University

Abstract BackgroundGlobally and in South Africa, university students’ knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is low. This study was conducted in response to the dearth of information about the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of postgraduate students. Research conducted to explore the SRH knowledge of undergraduate students suggests that the level of SRH knowledge among undergraduate students is low. The aim of this study was to determine the SRH knowledge of postgraduate students with regards to contraceptives, sexually transmitted illnesses (STI), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Pap smear and clinical breast examination at University of Cape Town (UCT), in South Africa. MethodA cross sectional survey design was utilized, using an adapted and pretested online questionnaire. All postgraduate students enrolled in the first semester of 2017 (9444) were invited to anonymously complete the online survey.ResultsFour hundred and six (406) students completed the online survey, of whom 293 were female and 107 males. The age range of respondents was between 18 years and 57 years, with the median age for both male and female respondents being 24 years. Six survey responses were excluded from the statistical analysis because of incomplete data. Post graduate students from the African continent comprised 90.75% of the respondents. Most respondents were white (51.50%) from both Africa and abroad. The results indicated that respondents knew about sexually transmitted infections, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) & acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Female respondents were more aware of breast examination, and the role of Papanicolaou smear (Pap smear) in SRH. Almost half of the respondents in this study (49%) stated that they had no need for more information about contraceptives. Lecturers were identified as one of the top five sources of information, which suggests that the university environment provides students with important SRH-related information.ConclusionMost postgraduate students had knowledge of sexual and reproductive health with regards to contraception, Pap smear, clinical breast examination, STIs, HIV and AIDS. Further research should focus on the relationship between SRH knowledge and usage among this population. As university lecturers were identified as an important source of information across faculties, the University should consider the incorporation of SRH education in the broader curriculum and as an integral component of student health services.

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